That is what the Republican National Committee wants Americans to think when they consider the prospect of Hillary Clinton running for president in 2016, and that’s the main point in a Web ad to be released Friday by the group.

While promoting her new book "Hard Choices," Clinton has spent a great deal of time defending the economic record of her husband, former President Bill Clinton. That trend, coupled with Obama's poor poll numbers, has caused some pundits to speculate that if Clinton runs in 2016, she will likely run on the Clinton economic vision and message, not Obama’s.

The Republican committee, which has devoted a great deal of time and manpower to targeting Clinton's likely candidacy, hopes to make sure Hillary Clinton is more closely associated with Obama, not her more popular husband.

After showing videos casting the Obama presidency as a "team effort" with Clinton, the former secretary of state, the Web ad flashes a simple message: "Hillary, Obama's Third Term."

The ad, which is going to be used on a number of GOP websites and on social media in the coming weeks, includes video from Obama and Clinton's first joint interview in January 2013 and the first event the former rivals did after their contentious 2008 nomination fight.

"It has been a great collaboration over the last four years," Obama told CBS' “60 Minutes” after Clinton left the State Department. "I think there's a sense of understanding that sometimes doesn't even take words," Clinton said about their partnership.

"These are the issues that have always united Sen. Clinton and myself," Obama said in 2008. "I believe at this moment, they are the causes that can unite us as Americans."

Correct the Record, an outside Democratic rapid respond group with close ties to Clinton, rejected the idea that the former secretary of state would be running for anyone's third term.

"When Secretary Clinton joined the administration, the former rival teams became a team without rival," said Adrienne Watson, the group's deputy communications director. "If Hillary Clinton does choose to run for president, she will carry her own policies and ideas, which we will look forward to hearing straight from her.”

Based on polling, Republicans think tying Clinton to Obama is a prudent strategy.

The President's job approval numbers are stuck in the low 40's in the most recent national polling.

Bill Clinton, however, remains markedly more popular. According to a CNN/ORC International poll released earlier this month, 66% of Americans had a favorable view of the former president. And a 2012 Gallup Poll found that 88% of Americans saw Clinton's presidency as somewhere between outstanding to average.

While Clinton speaks highly of both Bill Clinton and Obama at events, the former first lady has made a noticeable point of defending her husband's economic record in the last two months.

In front of a Washington audience in May she said that her husband’s years in the White House showed that "a rising tide really did raise all boats." In early June she told an audience in Chicago that trickle-down economics, the conservative idea that money and tax breaks to top earners trickle down to everyone else, "does not work."

"Bill Clinton proved that 1000%," she added.

When asked about Obama's economic record, Clinton is less outspoken. While she generally backs the economic decisions he made, especially those early in his presidency, she usually pivots to bashing Congress shortly thereafter.

"Getting that balance right is what I know President Obama has tried to do," Clinton told PBS earlier this week, "and at every turn he’s been stopped."

soundoff(292 Responses)

Hillary there is a joke. Her and Obama, two pee's in a pod, Michelle might want to keep a eye on Hillary. No telling what she might do with Obama behind close doors. =)

June 27, 2014 03:58 pm at 3:58 pm |

Rick

She will never win, too many moderate Democrats are fed up with Obamas far left agenda and her support of him

June 27, 2014 04:00 pm at 4:00 pm |

2_indy1600

Bill Clinton's repeal of the Glass Steagall Act made him look like a hero for about five years, I get that. What I don't understand is how he can ask with a straight face, " Why didn't I get a vote on Iraq," when he passed the law that paved the yellow brick road into war with the Iraq Liberation Act in 1998.

June 27, 2014 04:10 pm at 4:10 pm |

Rudy NYC

Rick

She will never win, too many moderate Democrats are fed up with Obamas far left agenda and her support of him
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Have you been staring into the flames again?

June 27, 2014 04:16 pm at 4:16 pm |

tom l

Rudy NYC

tom l

a. It was the worst economic condition since the Great Depression. If not, then tell us what was worse.

The late 70's/early 80's was far worse. Remember odd/even days for gas? Inflation at 10%, unemployment at 10%. mortgages were around 15%. Dollar losing value. No comparison.

b. What moves has the government made, the ones that didn't work? The GOTP has blocked every effort by Democrats

Really? How about the stimulus bill? How about the ACA passing? The Dodd/Frank Act? Utilizing TARP for the auto industry. The first 2 years of Obama's administration was all dems. Do you remember that? So, yep, those had major negative impacts on the economy no matter what you say and the proof is in how poor our economy is today. And sure, Bush has a hand in all of this too. But to ignore the acts that have hurt this economy by the current administration would just be, what did you call it, a liberal ideologue.

I'm sure you'll dodge and deflect and bring up something irrelevant piece of information to pin this back to Bush
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You don't understand recessions. The Great Recession of 2007, unlike previous recessions, hit across all sectors of the economy. The recessions during the Reagan years were self-inflicted, caused by Reagan's tax cuts. Trickle down tax cuts have always caused recessions, which is why they are also called "boom then bust ecomics."

The first two years was "all Dems", a period that saw the economy go from losing 750,000 jobs per month to a fairly consistent 100,000 to 200,000 positive jobs growth. That's a big turn around. Once the Tea Party rolled into the House, the improvements in the monthly jobs figures completely stalled. The economy has been stuck on stupid ever since.
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Hilarious. I don't understand recessions. Please do enlighten me. So the late 70's/early 80's hit every component and industry. How does it not affect an industry with the interest rates where they were and with the shortage of gas? How does it not hit every industry with mortgage rates upwards of 15%? You sound very ignorant (and, of course, highly partisan) here, my friend. Recessions come and go; that's the nature of capitalism. And your "big turnaround" that you speak of was the weakest "recovery" for any recession. I do agree with you that the economy is definitely "stuck on stupid" but it is for far different reasons than you think. And you just won't acknowledge that those 2 years where dems had total control led to nothing but more debt and a declining labor force participation rate.

June 27, 2014 04:17 pm at 4:17 pm |

Rudy NYC

"....Please do enlighten me. So the late 70's/early 80's hit every component and industry. How does it not affect an industry with the interest rates where they were and with the shortage of gas? ..."
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Those recessions did not hit every sector of the economy. Most recessions hit primarily one sector: airlines, banking, construction, etc. The Great Recession of 2007 hit them all at once, which is why the recovery has been slow. Previous recessions did adversely affect every sector. That only happened with the Great Depression, tom.

Rudy,
Even for you that reply doesn't make any sense. Explain to me how incredibly high interest rates and inflation doesn't affect every industry. Those abnormally high interest rates stalls all economic activity as does rampant inflation. You simply are not making any sense. So tell me which industries were not affected?

June 27, 2014 04:43 pm at 4:43 pm |

don in albuquerque

Hey right wingers, its a really easy defeat of Hillary if you can do one thing.....List a long succession of accomplishments that have benefited the country. Easy squeezy.

June 27, 2014 05:36 pm at 5:36 pm |

A Kickin' Donkey

Can you imagine a Hillary Clinton in the Oval office with the "Secretary of Explaining SH_ T" back in the Whitehouse?

If the GOP looses the black bogey man as a rallying cry to the base AND has to deal with Bill weighing in with his "awe shucks" country boy commentaries WITHOUT the downside of public opinion that can come from actually being president, I think their heads will explode.

June 27, 2014 05:43 pm at 5:43 pm |

don in albuquerque

Doesn't even have to be a long list of accomplishments........a very short one maybe. But it must have benefited the country and not just the wealthy of corporations.

June 27, 2014 06:03 pm at 6:03 pm |

gahh

First thing she'll do is stop the deportation of illegals, 2nd thing she'll do is give them all amnesty and citizenship.

June 27, 2014 06:26 pm at 6:26 pm |

us1jacck

Quite frankly, if Hilary runs that's 16 years straight of Democratic Presidency. How can those poor GOPers stand it. FoxNews will go thermal nuclear and implode. Murdoch will turn into something more mutant and refuse to die until be sees another Republican President. Now I'm torn.

June 27, 2014 06:31 pm at 6:31 pm |

Linda Kay Ritter

I believe that Hillary Clinton will become our next President Of The United States.

June 27, 2014 07:35 pm at 7:35 pm |

Paul

National Republicans instead of doing their job in Congress, attempt to ignore the fact that the Great Recession is the result of their failed economic policies and favoritism towards Wall Street. It is the result of President Bush's failed administrations. Let us remember those years of prosperity and surpluses under the Clinton administration. Hillary, the best fit to bring back economic growth, our next Madame President

June 27, 2014 08:07 pm at 8:07 pm |

belinda

When Hillary wins, Republicans will be put in their place, for a change. Getting beat by a Woman, will devastate them.

June 27, 2014 09:00 pm at 9:00 pm |

Liz the First

No matter. if she's Obama or Clinton, she'd be wonderful. she'd be about the American people, not about the Koch brothers and what's good for the uber-rich! she'd move the country forward, not drag it kicking and screaming back to the '50's, the 1850s!!! if we ever elect another republican president, we should have our collective head examined. the republican ideology is a dismal failure and every time they gain power, they prove it at our expense.